October Daring Baker's Challenge... Doughnut Drive...

I haven't been cooking much, well, I do cook everyday - almost, but nothing exciting lately.  I had ear and throat infection for 2 weeks and still not 100%.

But this month's Daring Baker's Challenge is one not to miss... after all, the family LOVE LOVE donuts.

So thank you Lori from Butter Me Up for this wonderful wonderful challenge.... 

I used the yeast doughnut recipe from the recipes Lori collected,  but baked the donuts rather than deep fried them.  It's a bit easier for me when I don't feel like standing up too much.

The recipe I used - make 20:
360ml milk
70g butter
14g dry yeast
80ml warm water
1.5 tsp salt
55g white sugar
1 tsp all spice
0.5 tsp cinnamon powder
650g plain white flour (plus extra for dusting)

150g strawberry jam (can be home made or shop bought)
chocolate sauce (I made it with chocolate ganache - the normal dark chocolate and cream version, and icing sugar)
an egg, lightly whisked - for egg wash

For the dough:
1.Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until warm enough to melt the shortening. (Make sure the shortening is melted so that it incorporates well into the batter.)



2. Place the shortening in a bowl and pour warmed milk over. Set aside.


3. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let dissolve for 5 minutes. It should get foamy. After 5 minutes, pour the yeast mixture into the large bowl of a stand mixer and add the milk and shortening mixture, first making sure the milk and shortening mixture has cooled to lukewarm.


4. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, nutmeg, and half of the flour. Using the paddle attachment of your mixer (if you have one), combine the ingredients on low speed until flour is incorporated and then turn the speed up to medium and beat until well combined.


5. Add the remaining flour, combining on low speed at first, and then increase the speed to medium and beat well.


6. Change to the dough hook attachment of the mixer and beat on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the bowl and becomes smooth, approximately 3 to 4 minutes (for me this only took about two minutes). If you do not have a dough hook/stand mixer – knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.

7. Transfer to a well-oiled bowl, cover, and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
 
8. Instead of making normal ring donuts, I rolled the dough into a long log, and fold the jam in the dough - as it's the baking version, I can cheat a bit, rather than pipe the jam into the donuts.
 

9. Let the donuts set in the baking tray, lined with baking paper and greased, for 45 minutes or so, and brush on egg wash.
 

10. Bake donuts in oven pre-heated to 200C, for 12-14 minutes.
 

11. Let them cool a little and add chocolate sauce on top, it will melt and drop down the warm dome shaped donuts....
 

Eat them when they are warm!